Projects

America Reads at Northeastern University
Former President Clinton proposed the America Reads Challenge in 1996 when it was discovered that forty percent of America's fourth graders were not reading at grade level. The initiative challenged America's college students to play an active role in helping children read well and independently.

America Reads at Northeastern University is a program that places college work-study students and volunteers in community based after school programs to serve as tutors to elementary school children. The program focuses on the enrichment of reading and writing and the development of a love of literature. Northeastern students work to complement and aid existing after school programs by working with individuals or small groups of children.

Raising Readers and Writers: An Early Childhood Literacy Enhancement Program
In the fall of 2005, the Trustees of the Boston Public Library awarded a grant to the School of Education Partnerships in Education Program for Raising Readers and Writers: An Early Childhood Literacy Enhancement Program, a project in collaboration with the Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library and St. James Educational Center. The project is designed to enhance emerging literacy, learning attitudes, and skills of approximately 250 PreK-3rd grade children.

In addition to regular library visits, the program offers related workshops to families, caregivers, and childcare workers that contribute to their own professional and personal development and deepen their connections within the Roxbury community.

Investing in Human Potential: Enhancing Middle School Programming at the Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library
In the fall of 2005, the Trustees of the Boston Public Library awarded a grant to the School of Education Partnerships in Education Program for Investing in Human Potential: Enhancing Middle School Programming at the Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library, a project for middle school students from Cape Verdean UNIDO, Dearborn School After School Academy (DASA) and Dudley Library's Youth Program. Through the compilation and documentation of personal and community stories and oral history, youth will develop an understanding of the rich complexity of the Roxbury Community and hone abilities to contribute to community well being. Following the dynamic weekly workshops, the students culminated their experiences in a book dedication ceremony.

Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP)
The Education Policy Fellowship Program is a ten-month professional development and policy program for individuals whose work record reflects strong leadership abilities and a concern for improving opportunities for children and youth. Participants in EPFP hold full-time positions in diverse organizations at local, state and national levels. Massachusetts EPFP is now in its eleventh year in the School of Education at Northeastern University. John Portz and Michael Dukakis, faculty in the Political Science Department, and Angela Irving in the School of Education, coordinate the program.

Bridge to Calculus Program
Bridge to Calculus is a mathematics enrichment program that seeks to overcome the achievement gap by promoting minority student achievement in advanced calculus at the John D. O'Bryant High School of Mathematics and Science. This collaboration between mathematics teachers and administrators at the O'Bryant and Northeastern University College of Arts and Sciences Mathematics and Education department faculty members, provides academic year coaching for O'Bryant students by a teacher who specializes in AP Calculus test preparation; mentoring by NU mathematics students; and a six-week summer calculus course for rising juniors and seniors at the O'Bryant taught by NU and O'Bryant faculty and NU graduate students.

Boston Connects Faculty and staff from the School of Education and the Bouvé College of Health Sciences School Psychologist program partner with the Boston Public Schools, New England Medical Center, and other human service agencies and programs to develop a full-service school model, which provides a comprehensive array of student services. This program has been launched in a number of Boston Public Schools.

Future Educators Club Under the strong direction of a dynamic leadership team, the Future Educators Club organized the most successful and well-attended "pinning" ceremony the afternoon before graduation last May 2006. An overflow crowd of students and family members listened to the keynote presentation by Freedom House Program Director (and ED U111 instructor) Kendra Hoyt. In April 2006, the Club hosted a regional conference "Future Educators Connecting to Make a Difference" for students in teacher preparation programs. The conference drew education students from across New England who participated in workshops addressing the importance of teacher-family-community partnerships in education.

Race, Culture, Identity and Achievement Seminar Series 2006 - 2007 is the third year of this highly successful seminar series organized by a consortium of local universities, the Boston Public Schools and The Boston Children's Museum. Each seminar has attracted large crowds (typically over 250) of teachers, teacher educators, community leaders, and cultural and civic organizations for sustained conversations on the implications of race, culture and identity on achievement of Boston's increasingly multiracial and multiethnic student population. Visit the seminar series website at www.achievementseminars.com.

Boston Public Schools Sixtieth Annual City-Wide Science Fair On March 11, 2006, Northeastern University and its School of Education hosted the Sixtieth annual Boston Public School City-Wide Science Fair. Last year marked the seventh year that NU had hosted this important Boston event. Focus on Science is a major curriculum development theme of the Boston Public Schools. Last year, thousands of students participated in their schools' science fairs and 300 of the best were invited to present their projects at the City-Wide Science Fair. Over forty BPS winners, including several who had collaborated with Northeastern University faculty, went on to the Massachusetts State-Wide Science Fair where many won honors. The School of Education again will host the City-Wide Science Fair on March 10, 2007.

Step UP Initiative In early January 2006, Mayor Menino hosted a meeting of the Presidents of Boston's five largest colleges and universities, each with significant interests in the well-being of Boston Public School students, and challenged them to develop a bold new collaborative that enhances the quality of education and works toward closing the achievement gap for Boston Public School children. Throughout the 2006 spring and fall semesters, School of Education faculty and staff met to develop an innovative program focusing on STEM education activities. The Step UP Initiative will launch in ten Boston Public Schools in September 2007.